“Mahalin mo lang ang trabaho mo”, this is what Jeffrey Del Rosario, would often say when asked about his secret in staying happy and content at work. Jeff, as his colleagues and co-workers fondly call him, is an Agricultural Technologist designated as Livestock Coordinator of Narra, Palawan. His co-workers described him as a jolly person who is deeply passionate and fully dedicated to his craft. He is also a livestock grower himself.
Jeff’s interest and passion in farming and livestock raising started at a young age, having both parents as farmers. His mother is a livestock grower while his father is into rice and vegetable farming. Their love for this field influenced Jeff, which led him to where he is now. Growing up, he considered the rice field as his training ground where he developed patience on the countless hours spent sowing in seedbeds. Planting vegetable crops and taking care of their livestock instilled in him a sense of responsibility even at a young age.
Having been exposed to livestock farming in his childhood, Jeff developed a unique interest in farm animals. This inspired him to take Veterinary Medicine as a college degree, but due to financial limitations, he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Major in Animal Science instead. During his collegiate years, he became an active member of the organization of Animal Major Society where he participated in veterinary missions and extension services like free deworming and vitamin supplementation in selected areas in Palawan.
At first, he and his father agreed that his bachelor’s degree in agriculture would be a preparatory course for Veterinary Medicine, however, due to his father’s death in 2009, he was not able to go after his dream. After graduation, he also was not able to take the licensure exam because he had to work and provide for the needs of his widowed mother and grandmother. Though he felt derailed from his original plans, Jeff, having a positive mindset and resolute determination, used these challenges as his motivation, a powerful driving force that fueled him to keep pushing forward and start his career.
He then got employed as a Meat Inspector at the Municipal Slaughterhouse of LGU Narra, Palawan where he worked as a contractual employee for three years. He also tried his luck working as a Livestock Technician at UniVet Nutrition & Animal HealthCare Company (UNAHCO), a private company.
Jeff was able to save a sufficient amount of money during his employment at UniVet and used it as a start-up capital for backyard swine raising. His income from swine raising was used to enroll at a review center in Puerto Princesa City. Juggling between work and reviewing for the board exams taught him to value time and prioritize activities to carry out his tasks efficiently. Having a focused and strong will of determination, Jeff passed the board exam on his first take.
After getting his license, Jeff applied and was hired at the Municipal Agriculture Office in their municipality. At first, his task mostly was to assist walk-in clients but later was given bigger duties to fulfill. He shared that through various training sessions, he gained confidence, mastered his skills, and enriched his knowledge that eventually empowered him as a livestock technician. He viewed all the training as an essential tool in molding him as an effective extension agent in his community.
Looking back, Jeff recalled that the Training of Trainers on Sustainable Pig Farming (TOT on SPF) conducted by ATI RTC MIMAROPA in 2017 made a mark in his career journey as a young livestock technician. The lectures, complemented with hands-on activities facilitated easier retention of topics discussed. The training gave him a learning ground to practice and acquire relevant skills that are much needed in his field of expertise. As a participant in the said training, he would often be described as active and inquisitive – always eager to learn new skills and try new things. “During the training kung gusto kong matuto, kailangan kong magtanong ng magtanong para ‘pag uwi ko sa amin ‘yung mga tanong ng mga farmers namin ay kaya kong sagutin”, Jeff shared.
Jeff believes that if he does not practice the knowledge and skills he learned, like iron, it will rust and eventually be forgotten, which can lead to losing confidence in doing. Thus, he sees to it that there will always be an application of what he learns. Through the budget allocation for his re-entry plan during the TOT on SPF, Jeff implemented his targeted activities in 2021. He conducted the Farmers Livestock School (FLS) on Sustainable Pig Farming in Sitio Boong, Brgy. Dumanguena with a total of 31 participants who are mostly Indigenous People (IP) belonging to the Tagbanua Tribe. Amidst the 25-kilometer travel from office, the muddy, slippery, and steep hills he must climb every week to reach the area, Jeff with a pure desire to serve the IP community did not mind these hardships. His effort and dedication were rewarded because the Technology of Deep Litter Housing was adopted by the participants. This technology made swine raising easier for the IPs and lessened their expenses. “Hanggang ngayon, meron pa rin kaming mga member na pinagpapatuloy ang ganitong practice”, Jeff said.
Jeff also mentioned that they are piloting the odorless (Lababoy) technology in Brgy, Antipuluhan to help small-scale hog raisers since swine raising is strictly prohibited in residential areas because of the foul smell. In addition, he also taught the livestock growers about probiotics to improve digestive health and immunity.
He also succeeded in other training related to swine production. Jeff conducted a Pera Sa Alkansya funded by the Gender and Development Program (GAD) of their Local Government Unit (LGU). The Pera sa Alkansya aims to improve weaner’s production, addressing concerns from Artificial Insemination to breeding. He taught hog raisers on the selection of a good breeder, sow and litter management, and diarrhea prevention. Through this training, their barangay veterinary aids were capacitated and mobilized as well.
As a man of vision and through his inquisitive nature, Jeff was able to avail their municipality of a project on Swine AI in 2022. He clearly remembered working even during the Christmas season to comply with the necessary documents of the project. With the strong support of their Board Members, LGU and Municipal Agriculture Office, the first multiplier project in Palawan was awarded to their municipality where they secured funding for bio-secured housing and facilities, AI laboratory equipment, feeds, and breeder boars.
Jeff unlocked a new opportunity to serve and empower others when he attended the Blood Sample Collection for Laboratory Analysis conducted by ATI MIMAROPA, a training on cooperative development conducted by ATI-ITCPH where aside from the resource speakers, he was inspired and greatly influenced by one of his fellow participants from Silang, Cavite who is very active in cooperative management. With a fiery passion and dedicated heart of a livestock raiser, Jeff initiated forming a cooperative to help hog raisers’ dilemma on the low buying price of livestock. In 2023, with the help of one of his batchmates, and dedicated livestock growers, Jeff formed a cooperative, the Kaagapay Livestock Agriculture Cooperative to promote competitive prices for livestock.
The African Swine Fever that devastated the hog industry in Iloilo opened windows of opportunity for their cooperative. Wanting to help the cooperative prosper, Jeff inquired with different government agencies on the policies and necessary permits to transport swine from Palawan to Iloilo and made a careful analysis of pricing rates to make sure that the cooperative would profit from this venture. Through his help and the dedication of the cooperative, they engaged in livestock buying at the right price, a win-win situation for both the local hog raisers and the cooperative. The livestock were then shipped off to their buyer in Iloilo where they ship a maximum of three hog vans every week.
Their cooperative started with only 19 members and grew to 109 registered and active coop members at present. They also opened the membership to Bataraza, Rizal, Brooke’s Point, Roxas, and Aborlan. Due to the success of the cooperative, Jeff was featured in ITCPH’s success story. He considers the cooperative as one of his greatest achievements where livestock raisers finally had a voice. They developed a matrix on market prices of pork to regulate the price which was strictly implemented through an ordinance. “Sa ngayon, hindi na bumababa sa 135 ang presyo ng karneng baboy dahil may competition na ang market, and at times when meat supply is scarce meat vendors come to the coop to buy livestock. As a livestock raiser and government employee, kahit paano ay nakatulong ako sa mga hog raiser. Noong wala pa ako sa trabahong ito, wala akong magawa tungkol sa presyo, pero nung nandito na ako tinanong ko ang sarili ko kung ano ang pwede kong magawa”, Jeff explained.His achievements proved that if someone has a clear goal and honest intention, he can change something that seems to be unchangeable. Since the barangay veterinary aids were empowered through the training, last June 2024, they received an award as Most Outstanding Barangay Veterinary Aide in Palawan.
Jeff and his team of vet aids has this theme “KAPAG SAMA SAMA, KAYANG KAYA AT MASAYA”. They aim to serve without expecting anything in return, Jeff is mind-setting them to focus on the goal of helping local livestock growers in the community. Every month or two, he and his team visit barangays to administer vaccines, perform deworming, and offer other animal health care services.
Jeff is grateful for the support of their Municipal Agriculturist and Municipal Mayor in the activities and plans he initiated. “Gaano man kaganda ang iyong mga layunin at naising projekto kung di ka naman susuportahan ay wala ring mangyayari”, he shared. Being humble and appreciative, he said that behind his accomplishment is a group of hard-working, dedicated, and passionate people, a team of barangay veterinary aids, which serve as his extended arms in accomplishing targets and delivering services even to far-flung areas.
At present, Jeff is designated as Livestock and Poultry Division Head and at the same time in charge of inspection of illegal slaughtering. To train others, he mentors those who are newly assigned in the program. He said that he started his career like them and knows how it feels to be in that position. His mission is to help others unlock their full potential, his way of giving back and molding others who would succeed him in the future.
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